Online learning controversy

Like all other issues affecting us in uncertain times, we will have to approach online education with an open mind

With the closure of educational institutions in Pakistan, initially in Sindh and then in the rest of the country, students have been left high and dry regarding their semesters and examinations. But extreme situations demand extreme measures. All over the world we are seeing schools, colleges and universities having classes suspended as governments encourage social distancing.

How we will proceed with regard to the academic year is anyone’s guess given that institutions will remain closed till May 31. Many educational institutions in Pakistan have risen to the challenge and have introduced online learning as an option to regular classes in a bid to cover the syllabus and to end the semester on time.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC), which oversees institutions of higher learning, has encouraged the use of online learning platforms so that the teaching continues. At the same time, the HEC has put into place checks and balances to ensure that students are not disadvantaged in any way under the new arrangement.

Some quarters are resisting the change to online learning. They are very actively protesting on social media. And yes, their complaints and misgivings are genuine. Many obstacles have to be cleared. To begin with, not all university students have access to a laptop or to a stable internet connection. Given this, it is difficult for them to join online classes as they take place.

There is of course a solution here. Many students may not have a laptop, but statistics show us that most do have access to a smartphone. Also, given that internet connections can be unreliable, the way to move ahead would be to upload pre-recorded lectures along with class notes. Students can then access these in their own time and convenience.

This arrangement is known as asynchronous learning. It is the idea that students learn the same material at different times and locations. Asynchronous learning is also called Location Independent Learning and is opposite to synchronous learning where students learn at the same time by activities such as attending a lecture or laboratory, whether in-person or online.

This is not a new idea. The concept of asynchronous learning has been catching on over the past couple of years. Many leading universities have now introduced this form of instruction because it suits students who may otherwise be unable to attend classes on regular hours. It allows for higher enrolments.

To add to this is the concept of blended learning, which is a mixture of in-person learning and online instruction. A lecturer comes in and teaches a class or two and then delivers the rest of the course online before coming back in the final class and summing up the semester. Such an arrangement allows universities to hire teachers who would otherwise not be available.

The former dean of IBA, Dr Farrukh Iqbal, was a great advocate of both online instruction and blended learning. His idea was that students could access lectures from leading authorities of their subject through an online platform. The lecturer could then follow the lecture with discussion in class. It would give students access to information that they would otherwise not have. While this seems simple enough, in practice it is something we will work towards.

We have to understand one thing: whether we like it or not, this is the future of education, particularly higher education. An online degree is no longer frowned upon. Employers are interested in what learning the employee brings regardless of what mode the instruction was received in.

One of the biggest challenges to online learning comes not from students but from the teachers. Many teachers are uncomfortable appearing before cameras or having their lectures put online. Students have shared videos where the lecture delivery was appalling. But this is the beginning and one hopes things will improve in days to come.

Like all other issues affecting us in these uncertain times, we will have to approach online education with an open mind. Its advantages outweigh its disadvantages. It opens the window of learning to a far larger number of students as compared to in-class learning. The costs of such an education are also lower. Let us not reject this and make online learning more workable. We owe this to our future generations.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2020.

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